ildenhall DJS Fen Tigers – proudly sponsored by Manchetts Rescue and Recovery - stormed to the top of Speedway’s National Development League [NDL] with two wins in as many days: going to new track on Saturday (3/6) Workington and coming away with a sensational victory and then maintaining their 100% home record on Sunday (4/6) with a last heat decider win over Belle Vue.

The 47-43 win at a sunny West Row over a plucky Belle Vue Colts side went right down to the wire, going into heat 15 holding a four points lead  only to see the Mancunians’ two nominated riders, Jack Smith and former Fen Tiger Matt Marson storm into a first lap 5-1 position which would’ve have taken the match into a deciding Super Heat. But first Alfie Bowtell and then Lee Complin muscled their way past the Aussie Marson to hold onto the four point margin and see the Fen men climb to top position in the NDL table for the first time this campaign.

Jason Gardner’s men went into the meeting needing to overcome a 14 point deficit from the previous week’s reverse up at the National Speedway Stadium in order to take a first bonus point of the season – awarded to the team with the higher aggregate score once both league fixtures have been completed.

After just six heats and holding a 12 points lead on the afternoon (including a superb 5-1 from George Congreve and from last to second, Ben Trigger in heat three) it seemed to most in the large West Row crowd that the additional match point was looking like a shoo-in. But the Colts, inspired by the in-form Smith, regrouped with considerable effect – bringing the deficit down to a mere two points after heat 11 when the impressive Marson overhauled Fen Tigers’ skipper Complin going into the final lap to secure a fourth heat advantage to the visitors in just five races.

Things looked to be heading for parity in the next heat until a resurgent Josh Warren left it even later overhauling another ex-Fen Tigers in the Colts’ ranks, Lee Muff to win a crucial point on the line for the hosts. Step forward as ever the dynamic duo of Bowtell and Complin to perform their now trademark heroics in heats 13 & 15 to ensure victory – feats made the more admirable as neither had mechanical equanimity during the match, with Alfie having ignition problems which kept his overall points tally down on its usual levels and Lee finding later that his bike had a faulty valve which was causing him to be below normal power.

Warren was the Fen Tigers’ top scorer with paid 11 and man of the match – following on from an excellent showing from the reserve berth up in Cumbria the afternoon before, no wonder the exuberant Peterborough-based racer declared, “My season has started in earnest this weekend”.

The visit to the country’s newest track at Northside in Workington on Saturday was a considerable challenge – a circuit none in the Mildenhall camp (save Ben Trigger who’d ridden with success in an individual meeting the weekend before) had seen before; yet they produced one of the best away victories in the club’s recent history, emerging triumphant 49 points to 41. 

Nine Fen Tigers’ heat wins said all that needed to be about such a dominant team showing: Bowtell taking the chequered flag in his final four races after the visitors suffered an early 1-5 in heat one; Complin top scoring with a superb paid 14; and Trigger, Warren and Congreve all taking vital race wins.

The teams were level at 36-36 with three heats remaining and, in what is a recurring theme, it was maximums from Bowtell & Complin in the traditional forums of heats 13 & 15 (the latter awarded when the Comets’ Connor Bailey fell in a tight battle of the number ones with Bowtell) clinched an eight points win which has made the Speedway world sit up and take notice of this 2023 Mildenhall side.

Two more away matches follow before Workington visit West Row in two weeks’ time (18/4). It’s to third-placed Oxford on Tuesday (6/6) and then next Saturday (10/6) there’s the 320 plus miles trip up to the Scottish borders to try and repeat their long-travelling exploits, this time at Berwick.

Team boss Gardner is very pleased with his team’s efforts this weekend.

“I must praise the whole team over what has been in a gruelling but ultimately very successful weekend’s work. Winning at Workington was exceptional. Today [vs, Belle Vue] was tough going but we won as a team and it was heartening to see everyone helping each other with the bike problems being suffered.

“Now we are top of the table we want to make sure we stay there and the next three matches are very important – away at Oxford on Tuesday (where we’ll be using hugely promising teenager Ashton Boughen as ‘Guest’ for the missing Ben [Trigger],) up to Berwick next weekend, always a tough place to go; and then entertaining Workington in the return match at home on the 18th.

Saturday 3rd.June

Workington Comets 41

Connor Bailey      3, 3, 3, 1, FX      = 10
Ace Pijper           2', 1, 2', 2', 1      = 8+3
Sam McGurk       1, 2, 2, EF           = 5
Harry McGurk      0, 0, 1', 0           = 1+1
Luke Crang          R, 2, 2, 0           = 4
Luke Harrison      3, 1', 3, EF, 2, 3  = 12+1
Elliot Kelly          FX, 1 w/d inj       = 1

Mildenhall DJS Fen Tigers 49

Alfie Bowtell         1, 3, 3, 3, 3      = 13
Arran Butcher       0, 1, 1            = 2
Ben Trigger          2', 3, 1, 3        = 9+1
George Congreve  3, 0, 0, 2         = 5
Lee Complin         2', 2, 3, 2', 2'   = 11+3
William Richardson 1', 0, F           = 1+1
Josh Warren         2, 3, FX, 1, 1, 1' = 8+1

Heat details
1 Bailey, Pijper, Bowtell, Butcher 56.5 (new T/R)  [5-1]
2 Harrison, Warren, Richardson (exc. tapes 15m.), Kelly (fell) no time  [8-4]
3 Congreve, Trigger, S McGurk, H McGurk 58.2  [9-9]
4 Warren, Complin, Kelly, Crang (ret.) [10-14]  59.0
5 Bowtell, S McGurk, Butcher, H McGurk 57.6  [12-18]
6 Bailey, Complin, Pijper, Richardson, 57.2 [16-20]
7 Trigger, Crang, Harrison, Congreve 57.4  [19-23]
8 Harrison, Pijper, Butcher, Warren (fell exc.), Kelly (fell inj.) 58.7  [24-24]
9 Complin, S McGurk, H McGurk, Richardson (fell) 58.8  [27-27]
10 (rerun) Bailey, Pijper, Trigger, Congreve 58.5  [32-28]
11 Bowtell, Crang, Warren, Harrison (EF) 59.0  [34-32]
12 Trigger, Harrison, Warren, S McGurk (EF) 60.6  [36-36]
13 Bowtell, Complin, Bailey, Crang 59.1  [37-41]
14 Harrison, Congreve, Warren, H McGurk 59.9  [40-44]
15 Bowtell, Complin, Pijper, Bailey (fell exc.) no time  [41-49]

Sunday 4th. June

Mildenhall DJS Fen Tigers 47 {85}

Alfie Bowtell         0, 3, 2, 3, 2  = 10
Arran Butcher       2, 2', 0, 0    = 4+1
Ben Trigger          2', 3, 2, 2    = 9+1
George Congreve  3, 1, 1', 1'   = 6+2
Lee Complin         1, 2, 2, 1, 1' = 7+1
William Richardson 1, 0, 0        = 1
Josh Warren         3, 3, 1, 1',2  = 10+1

Belle Vue Colts 43 {95}

Sam Hagon      1, 2, 1, 0      = 4
Matt Marson     3, 0, 2', 3, 0  = 8+1
Jack Smith       0, 3, 3, 3, 3   = 12
Freddy Hodder  1, 1, 1, 3      = 6
James Pearson  2, 1, 3, 2      = 8
Paul Bowen      0, 0, 0, F      = 0
Luke Muff        2, FX, 3, 0, T  = 5

Heat details
1 Marson, Butcher, Hagon, Bowtell 54.2  [2-4]
2 Warren, Muff, Richardson, Bowen 4-2 51.7  [6-6]
3 Congreve, Trigger, Hodder, Smith 53.7  [11-7]
4 (rerun; stpd/awarded) Warren, Pearson, Complin, Muff (fell exc.) no time  [15-9]
5 Trigger, Hagon, Congreve, Marson 52.3  [19-11]
6 Bowtell, Butcher, Pearson, Bowen 52.8  [24-12]
7 Smith, Complin, Hodder, Richardson 2-4 (26-16) 53.6
8 Muff, Marson, Warren, Butcher 54.6  [27-21]
9 Pearson, Trigger, Congreve, Bowen 53.9  [30-24]
10 Smith, Bowtell, Hodder, Butcher 54.3  [32-28]
11 Marson, Complin, Hagon, Richardson 56.3  [34-32]
12 Smith, Trigger, Warren, Muff 55.3  [37-35]
13 (rerun) Bowtell, Pearson, Complin, Hagon 55.6  [41-37]
14 (rerun) Hodder, Warren, Congreve, Bowen (fell), Muff (exc. tapes) 56.1  [44-40]
15 Smith, Bowtell, Complin, Marson 55.6  [47-43]

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Club Honours

2023 NL KOC Winners
2022 NL Runners Up
2021 NL Champions
2018 NL Trophy Winners
2017 NL Trophy Winners
2014 NL Trophy Winners
2012 NL Champions
NL Fours Champions
NL Pairs Champions
NL KOC Winners
NL Trophy Winners
2011 NL KOC Winners
NL Runners Up
2004 CL Champions
CL Fours Champions
CL KOC Winners
CL Trophy Winners
2003 CL Champions
CL KOC Winners
2002 CL Trophy Winners
2000 CL Cup Winners
1987 Fours Champions
Pairs Champions
1984 Fours Champions
1979 NL Champions